Equitable Access Toolkit and Implementation Playbook | GTL Center
Tools to Support Equitable Access Planning and Implementation
Every student deserves teachers and principals who can help them achieve their potential. Yet research shows that many students do not have consistent access to excellent educators.
In comparison with other students, students from low-income families or rural backgrounds, students of color, students with special needs, and English language learners do not have the same access to excellent educators as their peers, which hinders their ability to succeed in school and beyond.
The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders supports states in understanding the extent to which their students have equitable access to excellent educators, developing equity plans to address gaps in equitable access, and planning for implementation.
Our Equitable Access Toolkit and Implementation Playbook provide user-friendly guidance and planning templates to aid states in this process.
Planning: Equitable Access Toolkit (December 2014)
Stakeholder Engagement Guide
Brainstorm and implement effective methods for authentically engaging key stakeholder groups, from developing key messages to creating two-way feedback loops. Twelve supplementary resources offer more detailed guidance on specific elements of your state’s stakeholder engagement process.
Data Review Tool
Explore your state’s equitable access data with this tool to help determine appropriate metrics, analyze your data, and communicate about equitable access in your state. The tool includes examples of metrics and sample data and data displays.
Root-Cause Analysis Workbook
Conduct a comprehensive root-cause analysis to ensure that you state's equitable access strategies target the fundamental equity gaps facing your state. This workbook takes state leaders through eight steps for conducting a root-cause analysis, in a strategic, deliberate way to ensure that strategies are targeted to the real cause behind equity gaps.
Implementation: Equitable Access Playbook (November 2015)
Implementation Planning Tool
Start the process of implementation with this step-by-step tool designed to support you wherever you are in the implementation process. Use this resource to assess community awareness about your equity plan, identify a project leader and team to implement your equity plan strategies, assess current levels of implementation, clarify leading indicators of success, create a project management plan, and act on the plan.
Communications Guidebook
Identify key audiences and messengers and effective communication strategies, develop key messages, establish a project management plan for communications, and monitor the effectiveness of your internal and external communications.
Creating Coherence and Alignment Tool
Assess coherence across state policies and programs and determine if the processes of implementing these policies and programs are aligned with respect to funding streams, roles and responsibilities, data management, and internal and external communications. This tool also includes charts to track alignment.
Monitoring Tools
Determine why some strategies worked and others did not and how to develop action steps to improve outcomes through a strong plan to monitor the implementation progress of your equity plan strategies.
Strategic Guidance for Districts
Help districts implement elements of your state’s Equitable Access Plan as well as develop local Equitable Access Plans. Inside you will find information about data collection, stakeholder engagement, consideration of root causes, and appropriate strategies to address the root causes, as well as a template for local plans. States can also use our tips and strategies to create a collaborative approach to equitable access implementation with districts.
